Play it Again
by lychee loving
Summary: A collection of short drabbles inspired by songs. 09 - Ororo, Logan: see, the life I've had can make a good man turn bad.
1. Kitty, Lance, Piotr

**Fell In Love Without You  
**(_Motion City Soundtrack_)

_every aching wound will cauterize and bruise  
in memory of what we used to call in love_

She smiled, small and cute and coy, cheeks dimpling as she returned his quiet good night with one of her own. She tried very hard not to giggle in delight at his shyness. He was so quiet and polite and reserved, Piotr, so it shocked her to the core when he leaned in to press a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek. She flushed a delicate pink, and he drew back, squeezed the hand that she'd been holding onto all that time and finally let go. He bade her a good evening again, but he might as well have said nothing for she barely heard him.

Later, after she'd dashed into her room and shut the door behind her and raised a surprised hand to her still-warm cheek, she would wonder at the unassuming gentleness. So different from Lance's smouldering, barely tempered passion. Lance's kisses had left her breathless, Lance's kisses were strong and sure and firm. His arms would wind around her, never hurting, but always with a faint hint of possessiveness - like if he didn't hold onto her enough, she would flit away. And she held on just at tightly, hardly believing that he was there. It'd been a wild ride while it lasted. She'd felt nothing like it. She thought they'd last forever.

She blinked away her thoughts, chased the memories away. She didn't regret what she had with Lance. She never would. It hadn't been easy, but where would she be now, if not for what she had with him? When they came to realize that they wanted different things, they broke it off, a mutual agreement. She'd just started her senior year of high school, then.

And then Piotr happened. Big and strong but gentle and quiet. Polite and reserved. Kind and compassionate and always had a listening ear. If Kitty wasn't careful, she thought she might really fall in love with him. If she thought about it some more, she figured that she was okay with that. Piotr was wonderful in so many ways.

And yet the thought of falling in love with someone not Lance seemed to shake her to the core.

* * *

_... Yep, I've decided to do a song challenge. (Put iTunes on shuffle, write drabbles inspired by the resulting playlist.) Basically a writing exercise to keep me from getting rusty + practice writing characters who aren't Storm/Wolvie/Chuck/Hank._

_some notes:_  
**1**_ You'll be seeing your favorite characters in different permutations here. I don't have a ship bias (maybe a little for logan/ororo, I can't help it) so yes, you may see some kurtty or piotr/tabitha or lance/pietro or whatever in the future. No ship is safe._  
**2**_ Not everything here will be shippy! ... well a lot of it will be, but.. not.. all? Familyfic and genfic are my favorites._  
**3**_ I have a bit of everything in my playlist. Don't judge! _


	2. Mystique, Rogue

**Irritation**  
(_5 Centimeters Per Second OST_)

(_instrumental_)

"In a hurry there, luv? Thought we were gonna run down the block, it's beatnik night, remember?"

"Oh shoot, I'm sorry Risty!" Gloved hands shoved textbooks and dark colored notebooks into a worn duffel. "Can't believe Ah forgot to mention it to ya. I gotta head home early today."

She thought she did a good job of hiding the disappointment on her face. "Yeah? But don't Little Miss Perfect and Sunglasses at Night have after-school affairs today? How're you gettin' home?"

"Miss Munroe's pickin' us up." She shrugged her bag over a shoulder. "So I better run. I can usually get away with bein' late if Logan's drivin', but Ororo just don't like tardiness, y'know?"

"Ah, I see." (No, she really didn't.) "... S'all right, we can take a raincheck this week. But save the date next time, yeah?"

Rogue agreed, nodding quickly before speeding off.

Later, Risty found herself watching from a second-story window. Rogue was brisk-walking across the school lawn towards a white mini-van, where a tall white-haired woman was waiting, one hand on her hip, head tilted slightly, fond smile visible even from the second floor. Risty could see a dark haired boy waving from where he'd claimed shotgun; Rogue purposefully slowed her stride as he cupped his hands around his mouth to holler at her.

Kurt was leaning halfway out the window making some comment or another by the time Rogue made it to the car. She rolled her eyes and raised an arm (to shove him back in?), but Ororo stopped her with a hand on Rogue's clothed shoulder with a beautiful _you know better than he does so let it go_ smile. Rogue hadn't reacted to it, but she hadn't shrugged it off either.

Risty's eyes gleamed yellow, and then she turned away.

* * *

_postscript;  
The title of this song is misleading. Look it up on youtube, it's very melancholy but beautiful (like everything else in this soundtrack)  
_

_And for those that can't remember, Risty was the pseudonym Mystique adopted when she pretended to be Rogue's fellow goth "best friend" back in season two. _


	3. Logan, Ororo

**My Girl**  
(_The Temptations_)

_I've got sunshine on a cloudy day _  
_when it's cold outside, I've got the month of May..._

* * *

Logan loved Harry's bar for several reasons, not in the least because the eponymous Harry always made it a point to be well-stocked on Canadian beer. He also had an old-fashioned jukebox in the corner instead of a new-fangled speaker system like the swankier clubs downtown had. This meant that he didn't have to endure shitty dance music that was like to make him claw the upholstery from Harry's very fine bar stools, if he didn't go deaf first. Ororo teased him for that comment that first time he took her there, saying he sounded like he had the taste of an old man.

So his tastes were a little dated. He knew she liked that about him.

"Pretty spry for an old man though," he says, grinning a little over his Lebatt Blue.

She murmurs something that sounded like half an assent over the light beer he got her.

Noting it for the challenge it was, Logan rolls his eyes, sets his beer down with a bit of a _thump. _The jukebox in the corner with its bright, blinking lights was calling to the change in his pockets. He stands from the bar counter with purpose.

She hides away a smile of amusement when he strides back to her, the first few bars of a song she never thought he'd choose filtering through the sparsely-populated floor.

"C'mere," he says before she can comment, pulling her to her feet and steering her towards the dance floor. Her quiet laughter trails behind them.

He waltzes her slow and steady, even gives her a few spins just to prove her wrong. She thinks he might dip her, though the song doesn't really call for it; he does, and with more finesse and control than she expected.

When he surprises her further by murmuring a few choice lyrics along with the song, she chuckles, soft and throaty. She leans her cheek into his hair, hiding the smile and flush to her cheeks that she's sure he's already aware of.

"Mm. I did not think you capable of being so sentimental, Logan."

* * *

_So much for trying to focus on other characters for once. But this came up on shuffle (shut up don't judge me for my playlist) and you can't tell me that I could have done any other couple for it. Seriously._

_And yes, I do think Logan'd be a bit old-fashioned when it comes to romancing a woman (contrary to popular belief, he does know a thing or two about it. Not a hell of a lot to go on, mind, but he's not completely incompetent.)_


	4. Toad, Wanda

_ohgod don't judge me for this. it came up on iTunes and this drabble snuck up on me. (warning for language!)_

* * *

**What Makes You Beautiful**  
(_One Direction_)

_but when you smile at the ground it's not hard to tell: you don't know..._

* * *

She was growing her hair out. It was nearing chin-length now, and she'd done this flippy thing to it so that it kind of - bobbed or whatever at the ends. Red ends, might he mention. The tips looked like they were dipped in scarlet and when the light hit them just so, they seemed to glow like hot embers...

He wasn't one to keep his thoughts to himself, really. He couldn't help it; he just had to tell her how gorgeous she looked on a daily basis. That she always shrugged it off, glared and/or scoffed at the endless flow of ridiculous compliments and nicknames that he could come up with didn't bother him in the least. If he ever did take the time to tell her how _fucking beautiful_ he really thought she was, hell. She probably really would freak the fuck out on him.

Shame though. She really didn't seem to know, since no one else ever took the time to do it, after all this time.

* * *

_Shut up, I like to think there's more to Toad's crush on her than what we see at face value. Wishful thinking? Maybe. Also: I don't think I am ever going to outgrow (ridiculously goodlooking but hopelessly underage European) boybands and catchy pop songs, so. deal. (be thankful I don't have Justin Bieber on my playlist) _


	5. Wanda, Magneto

**Set Fire to the Third Bar  
**(_Snow Patrol_)

_I find a map and draw a straight line,  
over rivers, farms and state lines  
the distance from here to where you'd be_

* * *

Working with S.H.I.E.L.D. meant long nights. Not that Wanda minded much. Sleep had become uncomfortable to say the least, since she'd been told that her memories were faulty. She had trouble separating fact from fiction, and while she made sure it didn't interefere with her actions on the field, it did seep into her dreams now and then. So, she didn't sleep much these days.

Tonight, she sat hunched over a tablet at 2am, wanting to get a headstart on plotting their team's next course of action. She was passing her hand over the map onscreen with smooth strokes when the tiny text of a sleepy little suburban city in the state of New York seemed to cry out to her.

Fury's intel was usually spot on. Not always, but it had a pretty above average reliability rate. Which meant that all this hearsay of her father joining the X-Men in Bayville was factual, and ridiculous besides.

He was a manipulative _liar_ who had _meddled_ with her mind so he could better _control_ her and _use_ her for her _powers- _what the _hell_ was Xavier thinking, trusting that man to mentor his precious students?

More importantly, what did those fools do to deserve _his_ guidance and presence and respect in their lives?

Sometimes, when she shut her eyes, she could feel faint impressions of his arms around her in a protective embrace, see warm, fatherly smiles full of love and affection and _pride_ - all _lies_ fed to her at his behest, she knew now. But that the X-Men were now receiving even a _fraction_ of the real thing...

She blinked, noticed that the faint glow of the tablet had taken on a fierce, bright blue charge, huumming with energy. The hex was pulled back with less effort than she used to need, the oath muttered under her breath the only evidence left of her frustration. She pushed the fragmented thoughts and memories out of her mind; they no longer had a place in her life anymore.

* * *

_I love this song and I think it can be taken as a general "I miss you" thing, not necessarily dedicated to a lover. (I also love family fic so.)_

_ Writing this made me fall a little bit in love with Evo!Wanda as a character for the first time ever. I'm sure she was informed of her father's meddling with her memories at some point. But mindraeps are tricky things (and imho close to unforgivable), I can't imagine that just being told that her memories were fake would erase all the planted familial feelings she'd been given for her father. _

_Also: I'm having way too much fun with the new image function of FFnet. Slowly going through my stories, uploading "covers" now. Some are lame but it's tricky to work with tiny 60x90 pixel avatars. Check them out though (the ro/logan ones are decent) and leave reviews while you're there? ;) _


	6. Logan, Ororo: 2

**It Might Be You  
**(_Stephen Bishop_)

_if I found the place,  
would I recognize the face?  
something's telling me it might be you._

* * *

Life he led was a lonely one. Harsh, but true. From as far as he could remember, he'd never had any delusions about meeting some girl, settling down, or getting hitched... Nah, that life - it wasn't his to live. And for a long time, he believed that. Heck, he believed in it so strongly that he was pretty sure that if, by some bizzare chance, love ever found him, he wouldn't recognize it even if it hit him in the face.

It was the same for her, he knew. (_damn shame_, he used to think, _that a woman like 'Ro should ever trade hoping to find love for fighting for the damned Dream..._)

Maybe that was why it took them so damn long to get their act together, he thought distantly. They'd both given up on love for so long, they hadn't seen it creeping up on them until neither of them could deny what was so plainly staring them in the face any longer.

Ororo stood before him, hands clasped together, awaiting his answer with tentative hope in her eyes. He shook his head and wanted to laugh at the picture the two of them must make, how much time they must have wasted just dancing around each other.

Well, whatever. They'd wasted enough time as it is - he wasn't going to keep her waiting anymore.

* * *

_disclaimer: I've never seen "Tootsie", so I hope you weren't expecting any references to it. I just really like this song*_

_I figured I should just... get all the logan/ororo I end up writing out of my system. __They keep writing themselves into my wordpad and I keep mindlessly making playlists for them (seriously, I have so many RoLo theme songs I don't even...)_

_*...yes, my iTunes has a lot of schmoopy, sentimental, wedding-receptiony songs. problem?_


	7. Kurt, Kittty

**A Day Late**  
(_Anberlin_)

_so let me get this straight,_  
_you say now you've loved me all along?_  
_what made you hesitate _  
_to tell me with words what you really feel?  
I can see in your eyes you mean all of what you say,  
I remember so long ago: I felt the same way._

* * *

"You're kidding." Kurt couldn't believe what his pointed ears were hearing. "It's a joke, _ja_?"

"No, I'm totally serious!" Kitty exclaimed, blushing. "I had the biggest crush on you back then! I think it was the fuzz... but if I'm totally honest, it was probably the ears or something."

"It passed, though." she continued, tilting her head to one side. "I mean, you got with Amanda and Lance happend... And then that thing I had with Piotr, and now I've got Parker - who totally knows, by the way. We're on a Star Trek marathon now and he will _not stop_ teasing me about Vulcan ears..."

Kurt could only stare at her, gleaming yellow eyes wide with disbelief. Kitty's giggle was just a touch nervous.

"What, you're not gonna tell me you liked me like that too, are you?" She tucked a lock of hair behind her ears self-consciously. "Like, that'd be so weird on so many levels and stuff."

He cleared his throat - yes, he loved (and lost) Amanda, and there was the on-again-off-again thing he was trying with Wanda now - but his first memories of Xavier's would always be peppered by Kitty's bright smiles, easy laughter and cherished friendship.

Kurt laughed, shaking his head at what he was thinking. "What if I told you I did?"

Kitty blinked. And then laughed along with him.

"Oh my god! Wow. Talk about totally - I mean, I kinda wondered what it'dve been like if we-"

"- but we didn't-"

"I mean, do you ever think about if we-..."

"I used to. But that was a long time ago, and-"

She giggled again. "... This is so weird."

Kurt looked up at his best friend, worried. "... But not too weird, right?"

Kitty smiled.

"Nah. Not too weird at all."

* * *

_aka: my themesong for (what I see happening to) Kurtty. both having an attraction to the other but neither ever saying anything, and then going on to fall in love with other people. only to discover, later in life, their feelings had been reciprocated back then, whoops. (this has happened to me; it's a weird, trippy experience!)_

_PS, long live Peter (Parker)/Kitty Pryde._

_PSS, so it seems I take requests now. leave a review suggesting a song and/or character(s) (but no prompt, be vague on purpose please!) and I'll see if I can squeeze out a drabble for you. _


	8. Logan, Ororo: 3a

**Gemini**  
_(Spongecola)_

_let me know if dreams can come true  
let me know if this one's yours, too_

* * *

"Hey, 'Ro."

She looked up from where she was tucking little eight-month old Kendall into the bassinet her father made for her. The window was behind them and the moon was full - mother and child seemed to glow from where Logan was standing. And when she bent over the crib with their little girl in her arms, his heart seized; she never seemed more beautiful.

"... What is it, Logan?"

He realized he was staring.

His hands were shoved into his jean pockets, a position he knew she'd come to associate with an not-often seen hesitance. What she wasn't aware of was the tiny velvet box in the one pocket.

"Got somethin' I've been meaning ask ya, darlin'..."

* * *

_ssh I like happy endings_

_the song is by a Filipino rockband that first rose to fame locally in the early 2000's. I've heard them live several times; they're fantastic._

_also: I'll get to requests...eventually! Storm/Wolvie like to take over my writing._


	9. Logan, Ororo: 3b

**Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want**  
(_The Smiths_)

_see the life I've had can make a good man turn bad,_  
_but for once in my life, let me get what I want_  
_lord knows it would be the first time_

* * *

She stared at the ring in the box he held in his hand.

"Logan," she managed, after a few seconds. "Logan, we talked about this-"

He cut her off, ready for that question. "- I know, darlin'. I know."

She turned surprised eyes up to meet his. "Then why-"

"Would it be so bad, 'Ro? Come on."

She smiled at him uncertainly. "We _talked_ about this," she repeated, sitting on their bed now that she'd overcome her initial surprise. "You know as well as I that I don't need the law to tell me what I already know."

He shrugged, sat beside her. That was true. She spoke about being married already, in their hearts and souls or something like that. And it was true, he did believe that. 'Ro was his friend and partner, and now lover, soul-mate and the mother of his child.

And he was okay with that, for a while. Because marriage - that was tricky. Too many legalities and red tape involved that neither of them really wanted to consider. (Technically? Neither of them were even legal citizens of the country.) And if he was honest with himself, he could still feel the iron collar of commitment closing in on his throat on some nights.

With Kendall now in the picture, though... He'd suggested the idea when Ororo told him she was pregnant. They talked about it then, and decided (well, she decided.) that they focus on being parents to their child first, and work on being husband and wife a little later. She didn't want to rush into the decision of marriage because of an unplanned ("_But certainly not unwelcome!_") little bundle of joy.

So Logan had waited, with more patience than anyone who knew expected. And when the kids asked why they weren't getting married before the baby was born, he let 'Ro answer them. (He remembers that week; the girls looked at her with stars in their eyes, and sang praises of women empowerment and progressive lifestyle decisions to her or something. He didn't get it, not really.)

But now Kendall was eight months old. And when he'd first held her in his arms, he knew he wanted this for as long as could have it.

(But first he wanted to get a ring.)

He nudged the box into her hand, closed. "Look, Ro. I know you've got reservations," and he would never admit what that did to his ego, "But a man like me don't get much good in life, all right? Once upon a time I'd take off before I even got the chance to have good things: they never last so why bother bearing the pain right?

But having you and Kendie here, with me... Well, never thought I'd want something so bad, you know?" He wasn't looking at her, but the sharp saline scent of her tears filled the air suddenly. He barreled on. "... Figured I should take this for as long as I've got it."

"... Better to have loved and lost, Logan?" She asked, quietly. Her free hand had moved to hold his. He felt her press the box back into his hand, and for a moment his heart felt like it had dropped out of his chest, like someone had sucked all the air out of his lungs, like he'd been suckerpunched without warning...

She nudged the lid open, and was smiling gently when he glanced up at her.

"I believe the tradition calls for you to put it on me?"

* * *

_notes: maybe one day I'll write non-RoLo fic again idk_


End file.
